Airport’s rail link hits $15b

HIGH-SPEED trains would get travellers from Melbourne’s CBD to the airport in just 20 minutes through a 7km subway under a proposal backed by a multi-billion-dollar superannuation fund.

The AirRail Melbourne consortium, made up of IFM Investors, Melbourne Airport, Metro Trains and Southern Cross Station, would match the $5 billion commitments made by both the Victorian and federal governments, taking the project to $15 billion.

Construction under this plan would start early, in 2020 rather than the already flagged 2022.